KR20200111201A - Golf Swing Practice Mat - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf swing practice mat 100 is disclosed that includes a ball practice area 103 and a resistance area 120 to provide physical resistance to the club head at ball impact and through follow-through. In one embodiment, the golf mat 100 comprises a generally rectangular rubber base 110 and a simulated turf material 112 overlying the rubber base 110. The simulated turf top layer 112 may be a simulated turf of typical fairway length. The mat 100 has a central ball placement area 104, which has a tee 103 and a resistance area 120 in front of the ball placement area 104, i.e. in the follow-through area immediately after hitting the ball 102. Can include. The spacing of the resistance region 120 from the ball placement region 104 and/or the tee 103 may be variable.

Description

Golf Swing Practice Mat

The present invention relates to a golf swing training apparatus, and more particularly, to a new training mat structure with flexible resistance fingers that help strengthen the golfer's swing and increase the club head speed through the ball.

Most golf practice mats have a simulated turf material that simulates the grass length of a typical fairway of a golf course, allowing players to practice hitting the ball on a surface that simulates the actual conditions to some extent. While these mats are effective in simulating the feeling of hitting a golf ball, they do not provide any type of muscle-strengthening effect that is very important to new golfers. The ability of a golfer to generate high club head speed through impact is critical to ball fight and accuracy. In addition, the muscles required for a strong swing are many and varied and are generally inseparable from traditional exercise. There are currently no products available that are aimed at impact training to strike clear focused targets and strengthen specific muscle groups used to generate the strongest impulses in golf.

Thus, there is still a need for techniques for devices and methods that provide improvements in target muscle strength while simultaneously practicing traditional golf skills.

The present invention provides a new golf practice mat for providing physical resistance to a club head during ball impact and through follow-through. In one embodiment, the golf mat comprises a generally rectangular rubber base and a simulated turf material overlying the rubber base. The simulated turf top layer may be a simulated turf, turf of typical fairway length. The mat has a central ball placement area that may contain a tee and a resistance area in front of the ball placement area, ie in a follow-through area immediately after striking the ball. The distance between the resistance region and the ball arrangement region and/or the tee may be variable.

The resistance region may be provided with a plurality of vertically disposed resistance fingers extending upward from the mat in a predetermined pattern that may be a regularly spaced pattern or a random pattern. The rubber fingers may be hollow rubber tubing or solid rubber, or any other form of durable elastic material. The height and diameter of the fingers may vary depending on the degree of resistance provided. In some embodiments, the area of the rubber finger can be replaced by the user to vary the amount of resistance provided when the user increases its overall strength.

In some embodiments, the rubber fingers may include a base flange portion and a finger portion extending from the flange. In this way the fingers can extend through the holes in the mat and can be supported at least in part by the thickness of the mat. In addition, the resistance fingers can be selectively removed to increase or decrease the resistance as desired. In addition, this arrangement allows the replacement of the fingers if necessary.

In use, the mat can be used without actually hitting the ball at first, whereby the user simply swings the club through the resistance finger to reinforce the user's swing through the impact area. Alternatively, the user can actually hit the ball while using the improved mat. As the user's skill and strength improves, the user can increase the number of resistance fingers, then place the golf ball on the center tee and attempt to strike through the ball and resistance fingers. As a result, the muscles needed to create adequate clubhead speed through impact and follow-through and strong swings have been strengthened.

While the specification is concluded with claims that specifically refer to and explicitly claim specific embodiments of the invention, various embodiments of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description of various embodiments of the invention when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. I can.
1 is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a golf training mat of the present invention having a mat oriented to provide resistance to follow-through after ball impact and resistance fingers.
2 is a plan view of another exemplary embodiment with a mat installed as an insert in a large training mat.
3 is a cross-sectional view of the mat taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.
4 is an environment diagram showing a golfer using a mat.
5 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a training mat.
6 is a bottom view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5.
7 is a partial side view of a resistance finger in the embodiment of FIG. 5.
8 is a partial side view of an alternative resistive finger.
9 is a perspective view of a mat including the alternative resistance fingers of FIG. 8;
10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a mat including additional alternative resistance fingers.
11 is a top view of another exemplary embodiment of a mat including a movable resistive region.
12 is a cross-sectional view of the mat of FIG. 11 taken along line 12-12.
13 is an alternative cross-sectional view of the mat of FIG. 11;

Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide a thorough understanding of the principles of structure, features, manufacture, and use of the apparatus and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the apparatus and methods specifically described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings are illustrative, non-limiting embodiments, and that the scope of the invention is defined only by the claims. Features shown or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with features of another embodiment. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. In addition, in the present disclosure, components with the same reference numerals in the embodiments generally have similar characteristics, and therefore, each characteristic of each component with the same reference numeral in a specific embodiment need not necessarily be described in full detail. . Further, as long as linear or circular dimensions are used in the description of the disclosed systems, devices, and methods, these dimensions are not intended to limit the types of forms that may be used in connection with such systems, devices, and methods. Those skilled in the art will recognize that equivalents to these linear and circular dimensions can be readily determined for any geometric shape. Further, so far as directional terms such as top, bottom, top, or bottom are used, they are not intended to limit the systems, apparatus, and methods disclosed herein. Those of skill in the art will recognize that these terms are only relevant to the system and device being discussed and are not universal.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention provides a golf practice mat that advantageously provides physical resistance to a club head through a follow-through immediately after a ball impact. This resistance provides the added benefit of helping the user in increasing the force of the specific muscle groups used when driving the golf ball. This increased force can lead to a longer drive distance of the golf ball during actual play.

As shown in FIG. 1, the training mat 100 may include a generally rectangular rubber base 110 and a simulated turf material 112 overlying the rubber base. Although the rubber base has been described in connection with FIG. 1, other base materials may be used including textiles, wood, plastics, or other elastic materials. The shape and dimensions of the base 110 are not very important to the present invention, but the rectangular shape tends to be the most practical shape due to the long swing trajectory of the golf club 140. Alternatively, the base 110 may have any shape most suitable for the environment in which it will be used, for example a triangle, a square, a circle, an oval, and the like. The top layer of simulated turf 112 may be a typical fairway length turf, or may be of any desired length. As discussed further below, the mat 100 may be an insert disposed on the large training mat 106 as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the mat 100 may have a central ball placement area 104 and a resistance area(s) 120 surrounding the ball 102. The central ball placement area 104 may include a removable rubber tee 103. The resistance region 102 is preferably located immediately in front of the ball placement region 104, ie in the follow-through region immediately after striking the ball 102. In alternative embodiments, resistance regions 120 may be placed in different regions of mat 100 to target different muscle groups. As will be discussed further below, the spacing between the resistance region 120 and the ball arrangement region 104 and/or the tee 103 may vary depending on the required and desired resistance effect.

A plurality of vertically disposed rubber fingers or resistance fingers 130 extending upward from the mat 100 in a predetermined pattern are provided in the resistance region 120. The pattern may be a pattern that is regularly spaced, such as an arrangement in which each of the fingers 130 is spaced apart by a distance "S", or may be a random pattern having different intervals between the fingers 130. Finger 130 may comprise hollow tubing or solid rubber, or any form of durable elastic material capable of withstanding repeated impacts from a golf club such as iron or wood. As shown in FIG. 3, the height “H” and the diameter “T” of the finger may vary depending on the degree of resistance provided. Note, however, that the size and spacing of the fingers 130 are not similar to actual turf in this embodiment. Rather, the fingers are much larger and more widely spaced than the artificial turf 112, or "grass," as can be seen from FIG. 3. For example, a finger has a height "H" in the range of about 2 inches to 20 inches and a diameter "T" in the range of about 1/8 inches to 1 inch. The resistivity of the fingers can be a function of the number of fingers used, the height of the fingers, and the diameter of the fingers. Also, the resistivity may be a function of the material used and the cross-sectional shape of the finger.

Referring to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the rubber fingers may include a base flange portion 132 and a finger portion 130 extending upward from the flange 132. In the illustrated embodiment, the fingers 130 have a circular cross-sectional shape with or without a central lumen. In this regard, the finger 130 may extend through the hole 122 of the mat 100 and may be supported at least partially by the thickness of the mat 100. The through hole 122 may extend completely through the mat 100 from the top surface 100t including any artificial turf to the bottom surface 100b. Further, the fingers 130 may be selectively removed through the holes 122 to increase or decrease the resistance as desired. In addition, this arrangement also allows replacement of the fingers 130 if necessary. In other embodiments, fingers 130 may be directly embedded in mat 100 or fixed to a surface in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, fingers 130 may be formed from any suitable material, including flexible plastic, rigid plastic, metal, and the like, and may have any suitable cross-sectional shape.

5 to 7, in some embodiments, the finger 130 ′ may include a tubular base 132 ′ that may extend through the mat 100 ′, or a flange portion. In some embodiments, the base 132 ′ may be a rigid plastic material and the fingers 130 ′ may be a flexible rubber material. Alternatively, the base 132' and the fingers 130' may be of the same material or any of the aforementioned materials mentioned above. For example, the flange of the finger base 132 ′ may include a first lower flange portion 134 ′ and a tubular extension 136 ′ extending upward from the flange 134 ′. The lower flange portion 134 ′ may generally be circular with a diameter substantially larger than the fingers 130 ′ and the tubular extension 136 ′. The tubular extension 136 ′ may have a height H ′ substantially equal to the thickness of the training mat 100 ′. The base 132 ′ includes an inner lumen 138 ′ extending through having an inner diameter D ₂ greater than the diameter D ₁ of the finger part 130 ′ so that the finger part 130 ′ can extend. can do. In addition, the extension part 136 ′ may have an outer diameter D _{3 that} is substantially the same as or smaller than the diameter of the through hole of the resistance region 120 ′ of the mat 100 ′.

In some alternative embodiments, fingers 230 may include upright finger portions 232 and some or all, or flags or flaps 234 on top of fingers 230. As shown in FIG. 8, an alternative finger 230 may have a flag portion 234 disposed on top of the finger 230. In some embodiments, the flag portion 234 may have a generally rectangular shape with a lumen 236 extending from the upper edge 234t of the flag to the lower edge 234b. The lumen 236 may be formed by drilling a hole from the upper edge to the lower edge. Alternatively, the lumen 236 can be formed by wrapping the proximal portion of the flag around the finger, at least as shown in FIG. 8. The wrapped portion may be secured to the rest of the flag by stitching, adhesive, tape, or other mechanical or chemical means 238. In an alternative embodiment, the flag may have any shape, for example circular, oval, triangular, square, etc. Lumen 236 may have a diameter sized to receive a finger having a diameter D _F. Alternatively, the flag 234 can be attached to the finger by adhesive, tape, or other mechanical or chemical fastening means. In a further alternative, the fingers 232 and flags 234 may be formed from a single material. As shown in FIG. 9, the mat 200 may include a plurality of flags 230 that may be oriented to face the same direction in the drive track of the golf club. The flag 230 can be oriented to extend perpendicular to the drive trajectory P. In some embodiments, the resistance provided to the user may be changed by orienting the flag 230 at different angles. Alternatively, the flags 230 may all be oriented in opposite directions or may be re-oriented by the user himself.

In some embodiments, fingers 330 may alternatively be made of a plurality of individual groups, or bundles of artificial turf 332, each of which is more than artificial turf 312 of the remaining portion of mat 300. It has a long length (L _T ). Individual grass blades of the group may have the same length or a plurality of lengths.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the exercise mat 100 may be appropriately sized to be included in a large base mat 106 on which the user 150 can stand (see FIG. 4 ). Alternatively, the training mat 100 can be placed on any suitable surface and used without the large base mat 106.

In use, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the mat 100 can be used without actually hitting the ball 102 at first, whereby the user 150 can use the club through the resistance finger 130. 140) is repeatedly swung to enhance the user's swing and follow-through through the impact area 120. The club 140 may be a bamboo-made exercise club or a driver for use in a game. Initially, the user 150 may employ only a few resistive fingers 130. As the skill and power of the user 150 improves, the user 150 increases the number of resistance fingers 130 in front of the ball 102, and then places the golf ball 102 on the center tee 103 and the resistance fingers (130) And you can try to hit through the ball. As a result of using the mat 100, the user strengthens the muscles needed to create adequate club head speed through impact and strong swings.

In an alternative embodiment, the mat 400 may be provided with a movable resistance pad as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. Advantageously, the movement of the movable resistance plate 420 simulates the feel of a golfer's driver or club, allowing it to hit the golf ball and devote on the natural turf. In addition, the movement of the resistance plate 420 may reduce the club head bounce, thereby reducing the stress applied to the user's joint, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

The movable resistance pad 400 may generally have a width (W) and a length (L). In the illustrated embodiment, the length L is greater than the width W. In the first central ball placement area 404 of the mat, the surface may be covered with simulated artificial turf 412, with a golf tee 403 in the central position. In an alternative embodiment, the tee 403 can be placed in any suitable location. A resistance region 420 may be disposed at the opposite end of the mat. In an alternative embodiment, the resistive regions 420 are generally recessed regions of height H having two offset rails 442a, 442b extending substantially parallel to each other and extending parallel to the length L of the mat. (440) may be included. In some embodiments, the rails 442a, 442b may be coated with grease, a Teflon coating, or other material to reduce any running friction. The resistance plate 420 travels along the rails 442a and 442b in a substantially frictionless manner from the most proximal position 440p close to the ball placement area to the distal position close to the distal end 440d of the recess 440 It may be disposed on the rails (442a, 442b) to be able to. As shown, both the upper surface 420t of the resistance plate 420 and the upper surface 412 of the central ball arrangement area may be covered with real grass or artificial grass. In addition, the upper surface of the resistance plate 420 and the upper surface 412 of the central ball arrangement area may be substantially on the same plane. The upper surface 420t of the resistance plate 420 may be substantially similar to the resistance region of the previous embodiment. For example, the resistance plate 420 may include a plurality of through holes 422, each of which may receive any of the aforementioned types of resistance fingers or combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the resistance plate 420 may have U-shaped brackets 424a, 424b extending from the bottom surface 420b to fix the resistance plate to the rails 442a, 442b as shown in FIG. 12. have. Alternatively, the resistance plate 420 may have a plurality of wheels 424a' and 424b' disposed on the bottom 420b' to roll along the rails 442a' and 442b'. In either of the two alternatives, the resistance to movement of the plate 420 may be increased or decreased to facilitate the different amounts of force required to move the plate 420. For example, if the resistance plate 420' comprises wheels 424a', 424b', to increase or decrease the amount of force required to move the plate 420' towards the distal end of the mat during use. Variable breaks may be included. The force required to move the plate 420 is increased to further develop the target muscle group required to accurately drive the golf ball over the increased distance.

At the distal end of the recess 440d, an arrangement of springs 444 may be disposed along the distal wall of the mat facing the ball placement area. As shown in Figure 12, the arrangement may include three helical springs 444, but in order to cause the resistance plate 420 to "spring" or "bounce" back to the proximal position 440p. Any number of springs can be included. Alternatively, the spring can be any other spring. Also, magnets can be used as an alternative to the spring. For example, a first set of magnets may be disposed on the distal wall of the recess, and a second set of magnets may be disposed at the distal end of the resistance plate. The two sets of magnets can have the same polarity to repel each other and will repel each other. Advantageously, the spring 444 can provide a biasing force to bring the resistance plate 420 back to its initial proximal position within the recess.

When in use, the mat 400 can be used without actually hitting the ball 402 at first, whereby the user repeatedly swings the club through the resistance finger 430 to allow the user swing and follow-through through the impact area. Strengthen. As the user swings through impact area 404 and follows through in resistance area 420, resistance plate 420 will move distally towards spring 444. The resistance plate 420 approaches the spring in the distal direction D and presses the spring, thereby applying a force in the proximal direction P toward the proximal region of the concave portion 440. As described above, the user may initially employ only a few resistance fingers 430. As the user's skill and power develop, the user increases the number of resistance fingers 430 in front of the ball, and then places the golf ball 402 on the center tee 403 and removes the resistance fingers 430 and the ball 402. You can try to hit through. The user may choose to change the shape of the resistive finger used or use a combination of different types of fingers. In addition, the user may choose to change the resistance of the resistance plate 420 moving along the rails 442a and 442b. As a result, the muscles needed to create adequate club head speed through impact and strong swings have been strengthened.

Although specific structures embodying various embodiments of the invention are shown and described herein, various modifications and rearrangements of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the basic concept of the invention, and specified in the scope of the appended claims. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, except as such, it is not limited to the specific forms shown and described herein.

Claims (18)

A ball placement area having a top surface covered with artificial turf; And
For golf swing practice comprising a top surface covering a first area with artificial turf and a resistance area disposed adjacent to a ball placement area having a second area having a plurality of resistance fingers extending upward from the top surface at a distance greater than the artificial turf As a mat,
A golf swing practice mat having an upper surface of the ball arrangement region substantially on the same plane as an upper surface of the resistance region. The method of claim 1,
The resistance area is a golf swing practice mat in a fixed position with respect to the ball placement area. The method of claim 1,
The resistance region is a golf swing practice mat including a plurality of through holes extending through the artificial turf from the bottom surface to the upper surface of the resistance region. The method of claim 3,
The plurality of resistance fingers is a golf swing practice mat extending through the plurality of through holes. The method of claim 3,
At least one of the plurality of resistance fingers,
A flange base portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of the through hole, and
Golf swing training mat comprising a finger portion extending upward from the flange base portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the through hole. The method of claim 5,
The plurality of resistance fingers is a rubber golf swing practice mat. The method of claim 5,
At least one of the plurality of resistance fingers includes a lumen extending through the flange base portion. The method of claim 7,
At least one of the plurality of resistance fingers includes a finger portion extending through both a lumen and a through hole of the flange. The method of claim 1,
A golf swing practice mat further comprising a concave portion disposed close to the ball placement area, and wherein the resistance area is movably disposed in the concave portion. The method of claim 9,
The recess includes two parallel rails,
The resistance region is a golf swing practice mat slidably disposed on the rail. The method of claim 10,
The concave portion further includes at least one spring disposed in the movement path of the resistance region,
The resistance region is configured and arranged to approach from a first proximal position to a second distal position when struck by a golf club along the rail,
The at least one spring is constructed and arranged to actuate the resistance region from a second distal position to a first proximal position. The method of claim 1,
At least one of the plurality of resistance fingers is a golf swing practice mat comprising an artificial turf having a height higher than the rest of the artificial turf. The method of claim 1,
At least one of the plurality of resistance fingers includes a flag portion extending substantially perpendicular to the resistance finger. Proximal ball placement area;
A distal recess region having two rails extending longitudinally from a proximal end proximate the ball placement region to a distal end; And
As a resistance mat slidably disposed in the distal concave portion, a golf swing training mat comprising a frame including a resistance mat including at least one resistance finger extending upward from an upper surface of the resistance mat,
The upper surface of the proximal ball placement region and the upper surface of the resistance mat are on the same plane,
The resistance mat is a golf swing practice mat configured to slide in the recess along the rail. The method of claim 14,
Further comprising an arrangement of springs disposed at the distal end of the recess,
The arrangement of the springs is constructed and arranged to actuate the resistance mat from a second distal position to a first proximal position. The method of claim 15,
The spring of the arrangement of the spring is a spiral spring golf swing practice mat. The method of claim 14,
The resistance mat further includes a wheel disposed on the underside of the resistance mat,
The wheel is a golf swing practice mat configured and arranged to run along the rail. The method of claim 14,
The resistance mat includes a plurality of U-shaped brackets disposed on the underside of the resistance mat,
The recessed rail is a golf swing practice mat extending through the plurality of U-shaped brackets.

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